Jump to content

Robur Watch Crystal Press Alternative


Recommended Posts

I have wanted a Robur watch crystal press and dies for a long time, but when considering the cost of about £510 (CousinsUK, excluding shipping and VAT) I just couldn't defend it. However, as the Robur-like press, shown in my video, now and then shows up in various YouTube videos I got curious and ordered it from AliExpress. I don't think it's on par with the Robur press, but for the price, it seems like a decent option.

In the video, I happened to mention that I was going to link to my WRT service walkthroughs, so below is the list in case anyone would be looking for it. Hope you'll find my video useful!

My Service Walkthroughs:

Citizen

ETA

Vostok

Enicar

Miyota

Tissot

Omega

Orient

Unitas

 

  • Like 7
  • Thanks 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good review VWatchie, It's a nice press, i've just got the same one this morning, seven days delivery from China to UK on ali, fit and finish is perfect it works as it should, with the dies in place it closes perfectly square, it's an excellent buy for the price, this one will get used more than my Bergeon 5500.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't suppose you'd be able to measure the distance between the top and bottom mounting points with no dies installed? It would be much appreciated if so!

I've been looking at that exact press and want to know if it will work with some of the existing die sets I have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, GuyMontag said:

What dies are you using with the press? Are they also from Aliexpress?

No, they are from CousinsUK and unfortunately more expensive than the press. However, they are very good quality. It's the same dies that I use with my Bergeon 5500 press. Here's a link to them.

38 minutes ago, Darthkram said:

I don't suppose you'd be able to measure the distance between the top and bottom mounting points with no dies installed?

Sure, no problem!

IMG_1533.thumb.jpg.bd783c4a5f6e0c35c81d7b1db60a1c4d.jpg

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/2/2024 at 1:13 PM, VWatchie said:

I have wanted a Robur watch crystal press and dies for a long time, but when considering the cost of about £510 (CousinsUK, excluding shipping and VAT) I just couldn't defend it. However, as the Robur-like press, shown in my video, now and then shows up in various YouTube videos I got curious and ordered it from AliExpress. I don't think it's on par with the Robur press, but for the price, it seems like a decent option.

In the video, I happened to mention that I was going to link to my WRT service walkthroughs, so below is the list in case anyone would be looking for it. Hope you'll find my video useful!

My Service Walkthroughs:

Citizen

ETA

Vostok

Enicar

Miyota

Tissot

Omega

Orient

Unitas

 

Great review watchie, you need to do more, somehow you make them humoured without even trying 🤣

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very well presented. I had the  Robur with all the dies, I found it not to be as good as one of the other types of glass fitting tools which wasn't unlike the Bergeon 5500. It was much better and pressing down I found it much better in fitting then screw down. What set up do you have for making such a good clean and clear speech video?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Very well presented.

Thanks! 🙂

4 hours ago, oldhippy said:

What set up do you have for making such a good clean and clear speech video?

It's just an iPhone 8 on a table tripod in between me and the press. The only "secret" (except for the tripod) is to make sure the lens and the hole in the phone for the microphone are free from any dirt, much like a watch movement 😉

4 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Great review watchie, you need to do more, somehow you make them humoured without even trying 🤣

Thanks! 🙂 I had no idea I was able to add humorous elements so that's a bonus. Completely involuntary. I know I struggle and stutter with my English and I never do any retakes unless a complete disaster happens like my wife storming in asking why I haven't yet emptied the dishwasher, and I don't make any scripts. All I try to do is speak like I have someone beside me who wants to know what I think of the press. I want my videos to feel personal and authentic, and sometimes it takes a lot of discipline not to edit out what I don't like, for example realising I probably used the wrong word or was struggling to find any words at all. Any particularly humorous section as I'm pretty clueless?

Just watched the video, and I am "screwing" around a lot, which I found a bit funny.

Edited by VWatchie
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, VWatchie said:

had no idea I was able to add humorous elements so that's a bonus. Completely involuntary. 

Thats what i meant when i said # without even trying #, i cant pinpoint exactly what it is,  but you dont realise it comes across as kind of funny.  Some of your words come out with an Irish accent 😂. I laughed when you went into broken word sentencing, the introduction of the die adaptor,  " and...it....looks....like............this". There is no guile about you, just honest and as you say personal and authentic, # this is me, this is my new tool ( and i love it, so I'm gonna stroke it for a few seconds 😂 ) and off we go. Like a classic movie that you enjoy watching over and over again.  

  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your kind words @Neverenoughwatches. It would seem then that I have succeeded in doing what I set out to do.

1 hour ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I laughed when you went into broken word sentencing, the introduction of the die adaptor,  " and...it....looks....like............this"

I would never have guessed, honestly! So you are right! Anyway, don't make me too self-conscious or I might lose it! 😉

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

Thanks for your kind words @Neverenoughwatches. It would seem then that I have succeeded in doing what I set out to do.

I would never have guessed, honestly! So you are right! Anyway, don't make me too self-conscious or I might lose it! 😉

Dont change anything about it watchie, it's informative and naturally funny 🤷‍♂️. You just need to practice your oyrrishh accent ( thats Irish if you are from anywhere except Oyrland ). 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

You just need to practice your oyrrishh accent

I know how to speak English with a perfect Swedish accent. I think that should really make you laugh. Maybe I'll make such a video just for you. Just have to figure out what to talk about.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please do, I love the site being international and as said before I respect anyone who can speak a foreign language, my weakness.  How about speaking Swedish words in English, the pronunciation will be different to how we natives pronounce them.  Whilst in skagen, I asked a shop keeper how the name was pronounced and it was nothing like the English version. For example, a  make of German car was Porch, not Porche(r). Hehe, typical arrogant Englishers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Please do, I love the site being international and as said before I respect anyone who can speak a foreign language, my weakness.  How about speaking Swedish words in English, the pronunciation will be different to how we natives pronounce them.  Whilst in skagen, I asked a shop keeper how the name was pronounced and it was nothing like the English version. For example, a  make of German car was Porch, not Porche(r). Hehe, typical arrogant Englishers.

Like an Irish decorator i once worked with on a building site, he was told to paint the porch at the front of the show house in green.  Yes he painted the site manager's car 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 3/13/2024 at 11:06 AM, ColdWind said:

42mm minus 2 dies, each is 14mm so the working distance is only 42-28=14mm? Damn I was thinking of trying this press...

Most of the time I don't think that would be a problem. For example, the thickness of a Vostok Amphibia is 15mm, but with the case back removed I would guess it to be about 12mm and the Amphibia is considerably thicker than an average watch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Similar Content

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Yes @SwissSeiko, most of us here are just hobbyist and some horological products are simply too expensive. For example, cleaning fluids. I think even you find L&R cleaning fluids expensive. But I haven't found anything that shines up parts like #111. So I just bite the bullet and fork up the $$$. Here in Singapore, a bottle of #111 is $180SGD. ($134USD) The Rinse #3 is the same price. Oils like 2ml of Moebius 9010 is around $45SGD. Imagine if you had to fill your car engine with 5 quarts of 9010! I have been using odorless kerosene to preclean my parts before putting them into the #111. The kerosene does such a fantastic job that I may use that in place of the Rinse #3. But I can do without the #111, but now its role is just a brightening agent.  So my cleaning regimen will be kerosene, #111, kerosene and IPA. I see how that works out. I might even re-distill my used IPA to save even more.
    • What works for you, is good enough for me. You and I have great interactions on here, and you've taught me some things! I guess I should approach things with the thought process that most of the users on here are probably doing this as a hobby. I find myself reading some posts and thinking, that's definitely not how I would do it. But I do this for a living, I have overhead costs, bills to pay, taxes, tooling costs ect., and to many on here, it's probably just fine to do it as is necessary to work. So I'm probably a little overzealous when it comes to finishing. You should know, we(for sure at least me) appreciate you. If someone chimes in on my posts, it's usually you, and you're a good chap!
    • Hi. Just curious. Is there an official service center for orient in your area?  I had a problem with my orient mako before. I was regulating the movement and lost focus on what I was doing. I accidentally hit the balance wheel . I had the same issue in finding parts for it so I ended up sending it to the official service center here in the Philippines.
    • I think it was HectorLooi that posted some information at the time that we were discussing what materials to use for cleaning jars in an ultrasonic machine. It was decided that steel jars transmit the cavitation bubbles better than glass or plastic, which was considered the worst as it absorbs their energy. So I've tried a few different cleaning solutions, mostly non-proprietary watch stuff. There is a thread I made last year experimenting , actually I might have tagged it onto someone else's thread,  I can't remember.  Just mirror residue and evaporation rates. 🤔 Elma pro ammoniated,  paraffin,  ligher fuel , Ipa, meths, and I think break cleaner was in there as well. Elma and paraffin have a very slow evaporation rate, probably days. Both have wetting properties and are far reaching, paraffin being very much so, if you're looking for a deep cleaning solution then paraffin soaks well and finds every nook, cranny and crevice. When I use paraffin which is usually if I hand or US pre clean then i place the parts on absorbant tissue  afterwards to soak up the excess then spin them off and use IPA or break cleaner to rinse them off after that a rotary wash with elma and ipa for rinsing . I don't use a US that much, really just if any wheels and pinion leaves are really gunked up, which is when I hang them on the little wire tree. I kind of base how i will clean by how dirty and gunked up the movement is. If it's bad the procedure will follow : soak in paraffin for a couple of hours, peg out plate and bridges and hand clean what I can with a small brush to remove the bulk. Then onto the USM, some parts that can be hung go on the tree like wheels etc,  others that can't go in a slow rotating mesh basket, all in paraffin, the USM  loosens the crap up . Then put them in a rotary basket, spin them in paraffin, spin off the excess, then in elma then 3 rinses in IPA. That's like the full valet, if the movement is really dirty. The parts that don't get that treatment are the balance complete and the pallet fork, which I really like to clean by hand.  Screws and springs I also won't put in a machine, too easily lost, these are easily cleaned by swishing them in a jar of whatever you fancy . If I get a really stubborn sticky hairspring, that will be removed for cleaning separately, brreak fluid is good for that or tetrachloroethylene. Thats one way to get rid of the mother in-law, at 85 yrs old mine is heart attack territory.....🤔....I could accidentally have an envelope with certain contents fall out of my jacket pocket onto her dining room table...accidentally....🤔
    • Yeah, that's the guy. I told him it's cheaper if I just send the pictures to my  mother-in-law directly. 😮 
×
×
  • Create New...